Our family heads down to the Outer Banks at least once, but sometimes twice a year. My husband and I are total beach bums and it didn't take much to pass that on to our children. Most trips include lounging on the sand all day until the kids need a nap, but this past trip was a little rainy and we needed some additional entertainment.
Years ago (before kids), Stephen and I saw a fireworks show on the 4th of July in Manteo that was absolutely amazing! It lasted well over an hour and we were beyond impressed. Also, when Addy was about 8 months old, we went to the Roanoke Island Aquarium while visiting Nags Head for the week, so we had a little knowledge of the Manteo/Roanoke Island area. However, this was our first experience with Roanoke Island Festival Park and we thoroughly enjoyed it. There was an 100% chance of rain, but nothing other than a few sprinkles fell until we got in the car to leave. Either way, there's a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities to choose from.
Immediately upon entering, our oldest was able to convince my husband that they needed a sword and hook hand (like Captain Hook) from the gift shop and I was shocked that he obliged (he's a penny pincher). With that being said though, there isn't really any sort of "pirate" theme throughout the park. It's centered around the Native Americans whom originally occupied this land and the settlers who later arrived. We headed to the ship first, the Queen Elizabeth II, so that we were able to take advantage of the outside activities first in case the rain came.
While the ship appears large, the thought of hundreds of men living inside for months at sea was astonishing. However, it certainly did not take away from the beauty of it. The girls were convinced it was a pirate ship and we sort of allowed them to go on believing that since an in depth conversation about Native Americans and English settlers has only been skimmed over in this household thus far.
One of my favorite areas was the setup for how English settlers lived. Lots of hands on activities and employees whom explained the lifestyle. My 3 1/2 year old was able to use a lathe, help create a nail with the blacksmith and shave wood to make posts. She was impressed and we were proud of her for even trying. Additionally, my husband who is a carpenter was thrilled!
Unfortunately, I only have a few poor photos of the Native American setup. It included lots of hands on activities as well, but the actors (employees) were not present in this area. My personal opinion is that it would really add to the setup if they had been there since we really enjoyed speaking with them and learning from their stories at the settlers area.
Next, we entered the museum. This was a great highlight for us and it really brought the whole concept and feel together. Again, lots of hands on activities for children (and adults). We probably spent over an hour in the museum and while I have dozens of photos, many did not come out well because of the lighting. Also, many of the photos are directly of my children's faces and there's no need for you to know them that well.
After the museum, we caught the film presented in the auditorium. It was titled The Legend of Two Path and it was just under an hour long. It tells the story of a young Native American man and his experience with other tribes and eventually, with the English settlers. We found it entertaining and educational, including our oldest (the littlest fell asleep).
We grabbed lunch at Poor Richard's Sandwich Shop in Manteo (just a VERY short walking distance from RIFP). We enjoyed seeing all the boats, loved our delicious meals, and could not get enough of the perfectly quaint and beautiful island. This was without a doubt an experience I'll remember and I hope my children will say the same. We have every intention of visiting Roanoke Island Festival Park again and we highly recommend it for all ages.
